norton



geen entre F. I. NORTON,'OF

FREMONT, OHIO.

Lene/)s Patent N0.,96,471, dated Nmfember 2, 1869.

APPARATUS ,FOR DRYIN G- LUMBER.

The Schedule refenedtodn these Letters Patent and making part of the same` To all whom 'it may concern.-

Be it known that I, F. I. NORTON, of Fremont, in the county: of Sandusky. and State of. Ol1io, have invented a. new and improved' Apparatus for' Drying Lumber; and I .do hereby declare that the f 1llowing isa full, clear,land exact description thereof', which will enable others-skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference heilig had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in wbich- Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section ot' my improved apparatus for drying lumber.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same.

Figure 3 is a plan or top view,`partly iu section, of 'the same.

Similar'letters of reference indicate corre ponding parts.

The object of this invention is to ccnst'ructakiln for drying lumber, by means of steam, and dry heat produced by steam. Y

The invention consists chiefly in arranging a series of doors Within the kiln, which doors, when let down, will closeone or more chambers, into which the steam is discharged, while they will, when swung up, open said chambers, so that the steam may freely ent-erthe kiln. The doors form, therefor-e, when closed down, seam-chambers outside ot'the kiln, and are heatradiators, to diifuse the beat ot' thesteam in the k-iln. While the doors are open, steam freely enters thekiln, and fills the pores of the wood to bc dried, dissolving and carrying off all mattei' that may tend to facilitate the decay ofthe Wood. When the doors are closed, 'the steam is used 'to heat the1n,.and is not let to thewood, thereby producing adry heat in thel kiln, whereby the wood is rapidly dried without requiring 'fresh air to be'rarried into the kiln.

The invention also consists inproviding spongeplugs in the pertbrated cover otthe kiln. ".lhese plugs absorb. the products ot' condensation lthat are deposited by the steam on the 'under side of the cover, and carry the same, by capillary attraction, to the outside, there-v by preventing their dropping upon' the wood, and moistening the drying wood.

A, in the drawing, represents the kilnbuilt up of brick or other suitable material.

lIn it is arranged an, endless or other main pipe, B,

'which enters the kiln at a, and which has a series of horizontal branches, b'b, on the floor otl the kiln, and, some vertical branches,c c, along the sides ofthe kiln, as is clearly shown inthe drawings. The ends ofthe branches are capped, and the caps have very small apertures, so that the steam will escape iu small jets into the' kiln.

.The cover F of thekilu is perforated, and its apertures, d (I, are closed by sponge plugs C C, as shown iu all the views.

lhese plugs absorb all the Ymoisture that may adhre, in a condensed state,'on the ceiling or cover F, and condnctthe same, `by capillary attraction, to the outside of the kiln, where 'evaporation takes place.

The ends of the ,vertical branches c of the steampipe enter small chambers e e, that are formed on the sidesor ends of the kiln, by means of ribs or plates, ff, projecting therefrormas is clearly shown in tigs. 1v and 2.

These chambers can be closed by' means oi" plates, D D, that are hinged at their upper or lower edges, as shown'iu tig. 2, and when thus closed, the steam cannot escape into the kiln from the vertical branches c, but will be dischargediinto the closed chambers e, and heat the metal doors or pla-tes D, which tlieu act as heat-radiators to ,dry the lumber in the kiln.

When the doors or plates D are swung open into horizontal positions, as shown by red lines in fg.,2`, the vsteam will escape from the pipes4 c,.direct1y into the kiln.

The main pipe B has or may havedownward extensions, g g,- wbich carry ofi` the products of condensation from the pipe and its branches, so that only dry steam, as it comes from the boiler, ,will be forced into the kiln.

The operation is as follows:

The lumber or other wood is placed into the kiln,

upon the bottom of the same, and theu'thc door E of the kiln is closed.

The doors D are swung up to open the'chambers e, and steam is let into the kiln, to thoroughly saturate the lumber.

When the wood has been suiiiciently steamed, the

doors are let down to close the chambers e, and then the drying-process is commenced, no more steam being allowed to enter the kiln.

When sufficiently dry, the steam is shut o, and the wood removed.

Doors, similar to D, may also be provided over the oor ot' the kiln, to cover horizontal branches b.

The doors D are operatedentirely i'om the outside.

They are connected with cords or chains h. h, which pass through loops i, or over rollers on the. fixed part of the kiln, so tha't by pulling the strings, thev doors may be opened and held open.. Other similar strings -may-be used to close the doors, and to keep them closed.

Having thus described my invention,

1- claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patentl; The lumber-drying apparatus, consisting of thel kiln A, which has the'. pipe B, with the branches ab, or either, and in which the swinging plates or doors nre arranged to form and close chambers e, substantially ns and for the purpose `herein shown and described.

2. The sponge phlgsG, applied to the perforatione in the cover F of n, lumber-drying apparatus, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3. The plates D for closing the steam-chambers e,

when provided or connected with strings, or their equivalents, so that they can be opened or closed `from the outside, substantially :is herein shown :md

described.

F. I. NORTON.

Witnesses:

J. L. GREENE, J r., GEO. REDWAY. 

